Art Critic Of The Week (9)

Jeff Koons is famous, at least in art circles, for his “balloon dog” series of sculptures, which look like those creations that entertainers make for children’s parties. Nevertheless, they seem to sell and command prices into the tens of thousands of dollars.

A small, blue version of his famous “balloon dog” series was on display at the Art Wynwood gallery in Miami and was a centrepiece for a VIP reception. One of the guests, intrigued by Koons’ creation, began tapping its exterior shell. While she was doing that, the sphere moved and toppled on to the floor, shattering into thousands of pieces. Other members at the reception initially thought it was a piece of performance art until they spotted the look of horror on the organisers’ faces.

It was not the first time this has happened to Koons. In 2018 his reflective “Gazing Balls” was reduced to a pile of fragments when a curious onlooker touched it when it was on display at the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam.

Never mind, the insurance will always pay up.